Even the greatest philosophical minds can’t figure out why music gives us such pleasure, only that music does.
2018
Posted inEditor's Pick
Musical Pleasures
Human beings have savored listening to music for centuries, but the mechanisms behind that pleasurable experience still elude comprehension.
Posted inArts & Culture, History, Science & Nature, Story
The Ugly History of Beautiful Things: Perfume
Sometimes it takes a touch of darkness to create something alluring.
Posted inArts & Culture, Books, Fiction, Story
Sabrina
A video of a missing woman being murdered has surfaced on the internet, confirming the worst. Her boyfriend, lying low at a friend’s house, stumbles upon a radio program whose enigmatic host says she’s still alive.
Posted inBlog Post, Commentary, Nonfiction, Sports
Naomi Osaka Deserves to Have Her Moment
Much is being written about the contentious U.S. Open women’s final match, but this moment belongs to Naomi Osaka.
Posted inEditor's Pick
The Imam’s Widow
As part of ProPublica’s “Documenting Hate” project, Rahima Nasa profiles the wife of a Queens imam who was murdered in 2016. Although there appeared to be no other possible motive, prosecutors failed to try the case as the hate crime it likely was.
Posted inEssays & Criticism, Highlight, Quotes, Writing
‘Mami’s biggest lesson’: On Storytelling and the Weight of Words
The author learned how to tell stories from her psychic mother.
Posted inEditor's Pick
A Day in the Life of New York City’s Subway Helpers
When New York’s complicated public transportation system gets delayed or overwhelming, commuters get frustrated and they complain. Now the Metropolitan Transit Authority sends special Customer Service Ambassadors into busy stations to help the lost, offer commuters alternate routes, fix MetroCards and offer a simple “I’m sorry.”
Posted inNonfiction, Top 5
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
This week, we’re sharing stories from Lyz Lenz, Chris Sweeney, Megan Zahneis and Jack Stripling, Davey Alba, and Christopher Borrelli.
Posted inEditor's Pick
To Post, or Not to Post?
In this personal essay, writer Eloghosa Osunde contemplates the role of marginalized artists in online activism.